Daniel Bard set-up for a restart

Sox’ confident righty goes back to roots on mound

Credit: Matt Stone

FRESH START: Pitcher Daniel Bard makes his way out to the field for yesterday’s workout in Fort Myers.

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FORT MYERS — Daniel Bard recorded plenty of high-pressure, late-inning outs for the Red Sox over the past two seasons.

But Robert Woodard never will be more impressed with his ex-teammate than during a 2006 game at the University of North Carolina. With a chance to sweep rival North Carolina State in a pivotal three-game series, coach Mike Fox turned to Bard, who struck out eight, didn’t walk a batter and delivered a four-hit shutout.

“You could see it from the first inning. It was just different. It was a level above everybody else,” Woodard said by phone yesterday. “He has that ability. He can dominate. They didn’t have a chance with the stuff he was cutting loose that day.”

So, Woodard can’t comprehend all the questions about Bard’s ability to succeed as a starter for the Red Sox. After all, that’s the flame-throwing right-hander’s background. From eighth grade through their junior year in college, Woodard pitched alongside Bard and never came across a starter with more talent.

Of course, Bard had become one of the majors’ top set-up relievers, posting a 2.62 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 1472â„3 innings since 2010. And although he still yearned to start again, it would’ve been easy for him to tell new manager Bobby Valentine and general manager Ben Cherington that he simply wanted to step in to the closer void created in November when Jonathan Papelbon signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

But then that wouldn’t be Bard’s style.

“Daniel’s confident, he’s driven, he’s never backed down from a challenge,” Fox said by phone yesterday. “He’s seen himself having success (as a reliever), but I think Daniel can pitch in a variety of roles. And I don’t think he’s scared of not having success.”

That can’t be any more evident. Bard admits there are “a lot of unknowns” in his move to the rotation, but he rejects the idea that he failed as a starter in the minors in 2007 and oozes confidence that he will be able to make a smooth transition now.

The Red Sox are counting on it. Beyond Jon Lester, Josh Beckett and Clay Buchholz, they have only questions in a rotation that lacked the depth to avoid a historic September collapse last year.

Chief among them, how many innings will Bard be able to withstand after never exceeding 742â„3 in a season as a reliever? And is the 26-year-old’s changeup a good enough third pitch that he will be able to successfully navigate a lineup three times?

“I haven’t thrown this many innings in my whole life, but then again, I think 75 innings out of the bullpen, it’s just as much wear and tear on your arm and body as 200 in the rotation,” Bard said. “I don’t want an innings limit. If I’m hanging in August, I’ll say something. But I don’t see that happening. I think my delivery is pretty fluid to where the wear and tear will be a lot different than it has been in past years.”

Bard has sought the counsel of other relievers-turned-starters, particularly new pitching coach Bob McClure and Cleveland Indians right-hander Justin Masterson, formerly of the Red Sox.

One thing Bard won’t do is dwell on the past. In 2007, his first professional season, he went 3-7 with a 7.08 ERA in 22 starts at two levels of Single A, and the Red Sox moved him to the bullpen one year later.

“It wasn’t starting that was the problem then. It was me as a pitcher,” Bard said. “If you can find video of me throwing in ’07, my mechanics were so messed up, it’s not a surprise that I couldn’t throw strikes on a somewhat regular basis. The next year, I made a lot of tweaks to get back to where I was comfortable. That’s the reason the results got better. It had nothing to do with the role change.

“I think it’s more just believing in yourself. I spoke with Ben (on Monday), and he said, ‘I want to let you know we wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think it was going to work.’ I said, ‘I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think it was going to work.’ I’m all-in. I’m committed to it, and I think they are, too.”

Indeed, self-confidence isn’t an issue for Bard. Upon seeing him last month at an alumni event in Chapel Hill, N.C., Woodard said his old friend lit up whenever the topic of returning to the rotation was raised.

“I really feel like Daniel is ready for this move,” Woodard said. “I think his roots are as a starting pitcher. He’s got frontline starter stuff, there’s no question.”